Finnish teacher educators as a focus of empirical teacher education research: a scoping review




Koski, J.; Metsäpelto, R-L.; Mankki, V.; Poikkeus, A-M.; Mikkilä-Erdmann, M.

PublisherRoutledge, Taylor & Francis Group

2025

 Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

0031-3831

1470-1170

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2025.2591241

https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2025.2591241

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/506231872



This scoping review provides an overview of the characteristics of empirical research on Finnish teacher educators published between 2012 and early 2025. Methodologically, small-scale interview studies with cross-sectional and often cross-national designs were the most prevalent among 90 identified studies. The findings highlight the lack of large-scale and longitudinal research. An increase in the types of research design could provide more generalisable insights into the long-term processes of professional development of these diverse professionals. The most represented professional roles in the studies were teacher of teachers and curriculum developer, while roles such as researcher, broker, and gatekeeper appeared only occasionally. This finding may reflect the specific features of the context or the methodological challenges of studying these roles. Addressing the gaps would support the advancement of teacher education, given the widely acknowledged vital role of teacher educators in its development.


This work was supported by the University of Jyväskylä (JYU.Edu); the Finnish Cultural Foundation under grant number 00240692; and the Research Council of Finland under grant number 342191 and under grant number 358924. 


Last updated on 30/12/2025 12:20:23 PM